UK fracking should not threaten public health

Avoid leaks and frack away. Whatever the other problems with drilling for shale gas in the UK, the risk to public health is low, says a government report.

The US has embraced fracking for shale gas but the UK is yet to follow suit, and an exploratory site in Balcombe attracted a storm of protests. A key concern is that gas or the fluids used during the process might release pollutants, possibly into drinking water.

To assess the risk, Public Health England (PHE), a government agency, looked at the history of US fracking. “The risks to public health from exposure to emissions from shale gas extraction are low if operations are properly run and regulated,” it concluded last week.

The biggest risk is from the boreholes drilled to reach the shale. Fluids and gas can escape through the wells’ sides if they are not sealed. PHE says this must be strictly monitored and regulated.

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Mike Stephenson of the British Geological Survey doubts that this will reassure a sceptical public&colon; “People worry about things they can’t see.” He recommends the UK follows the example set by the government of Alberta, Canada, where operations to extract highly polluting tar sands have also prompted public concern.

The regional government has promised to monitor consequences like air pollution, and put all the data from its tar sands operations online, in real time, beginning next year. “The public will be able to see exactly what’s going on, minute by minute,” says Stephenson. He says the UK should be similarly open with its monitoring data.